Two-feed knitting machine



Oct. 23, 1934.

H, GQ DlcKENs 1,978,344

TWOLFEED KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 26. 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet l BY Hls "ATTORNEYS oct. 23, 193.4. H., G. DICKENS 1,978,344

TWO-FEED KNITTIN'G MACHINE Filed Nov. 2e, 1952 7 sheets-shear? HOWARD GRADY DICKENS BY HIS ATTORNEYS UCL 23, 1934. Q mgm-Ns 1,978,344

Two-FEED KNITING MACHINE 1 Filed Nov. 26, 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HOWARD GRADY DICKENS BY Hls ATTORNEYS Ot. 23, 1934. H. G. DlczKENsV 1,978,344

- Two-FEED KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2e, 1952 7 sheets-sheet 4 L INVENTOR HOWARD GRADL DICKENS BY His ATToRNEYs Oct. 23, 1934.

H. G. DICKENS TWO-FEED KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 26, 1932 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 f IVI;

.N mok d du: zo zoFu INVENroRW HOWARD GRADY DICKENS EY HIS ATTORNEYS Oct. 23, 1934. H. G. DICKENS TWO-FEED KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 26.

1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR HOWARD GRADY DICKENS av H|s ATTORNEYS .mdrlu Oct. 23, 1934. D|CKEN$ 1,978,344

TWO-FEED KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 26, 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 'QI I'n'n* may m 'f MAIN YARN INVENTOR HOWARD GRADY DICKENS BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 23, i934 UNITED STA TES PAT ENTA oFFlcE TW O-FEED KNITTIN G MAC Howard Grady Dickens, Thomasville, N.

C., as-

signor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts l Application Novemberzs, icz, serian No. 644,525

11 Claims.

" ting and welt transfer, an auxiliary yarn feed so positioned and arranged as to permit the machine to operate in a satisfactory manner as a twofeed machine during plain knitting.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the head of a knitting machine constructed in accordance with this invention, parts being broken away to show other parts more clearly.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l

' and showing the operating cams for the cylinder needles in plan view;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the knitting machine head shown in Fig. l and showing the means for supplying the auxiliary yarn at the auxiliary knitting point;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the yarn guideshown in Fig. 3 looking` from the right in Fis. ,3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary-planview of the needle dial and sinker ring showing the operating means for the auxiliary cam for withdrawing the sinkers Fig. 6 is a partial horizontal section 'of the sinker cam ring showing the auxiliary sinker opv erating cams at thev auxiliary knitting point and theerclation of the auxiliary sinker operating cams to the main sinker operating cams;-

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in elevation show ing part of the operating means for the auxiliary `knitting and sinker cams andthe movable main knitting cam; f 4 Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation looking in a direction opposite to that of Fig. 7 and showing the operating cams for the auxiliary knitting and sinker cams;

Fig. 9 is a view inl elevation lookingfrom the right in Fig. s;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 areA diagrammatic views vshowing the cylinder needle operating cams developed in the plane of the paper, Fig. 10 showing the operation of the cylinder needles during the 'knitting of the heel and toe; Fig. :11 during the knitting of rib fabric and Fig. 12 during the knitting of ,plain fabric, as in the lemas a two-feed machine; j

y Fig. 13 is a view in elevation of a'sto'cking knit by a machine constructed in accordance with this invention; and

Fig..14 is a view drawn to an enlarged scale of va portion of the fabric of the leg of the stocking shown in Fig. 13.

In the drawings the invention is shown in connection with aL well-known type of Scott 8a 4Williams circular knitting machine arranged for both plain and rib knitting and for automatically turning the welt such as is shown in the patent to Scott, No. 1,641,101, issued August 30, 1927. The machine is arranged for two feeds and adapted to tuck at the main feed. As shown, the machine comprises the needle cylinder 260 with its needles and the needle operating cams, the dial D with its needles, sinker ring 300 with its sinker operating cams, latch guard ring 55d, yarn guides F associated and operated as shown in Patent Previously, in machines for knitting rib fabrics or automatically turned welts, the auxiliary yarn feed h as been placed to the left of the usual left hand stitch cam 360 as shown in Fig. l1 and this placement leaves no room for needle selection loetween the main and auxiliary yarn feeds andrendered patterning in the auxiliary yarns dinicult, if not impossible. Where a pattern is formed by means of tuck stitches taken at the main yarn feed, the pattern is broken on the instep .on the rst revolution of round-and-round knitting after coming -oif the heel. In order to overcome the objections arising from placing the auxiliary or additional yarn feed at the left the additional or auxiliary yarn feed is placed at the most desirable point at the right of the right hand stitch cam 361 and the transfer cam 25 of Patent 1,641,101 which raises the jackless needles2 for taking the loops from the dial after rib knitting is modiiied in length and height without impairing its operation, to. permit of the insertion of cams 30 and 3l. These cams cooperate with the needle butts to form a knitting wave, cam 30 raising all the needles to clear their latches and take the auxiliary-yarn and cam 31 lowering the neecui.

dles to cast o the loops previously taken. Co-M operating in the knitting at this point are auxiliary cams in the sinker ring 300 comprising a cam 32 to withdraw the sinkers and a cam 33 to reinsert or restore the sinkers to their forward position. Y

Cams 30 and 31, as shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 would, if left in their operative or active positions, prevent the usual operation of cam 25 in transferring loops from the dial to the jackless needles. To operate the cams there is provided a chine frame.

shaft 36 journaled in bearing brackets 37 carriedv by the bed plate B and having crank arms 38 secured thereon and provided with adjustable contacts 40a and 41a arranged to engage the outer ends of the cams 30 and 31 respectively. One end of the shaft 36 is bent to form a crank 36a having a loop or eye 36h at the free end thereof. Ex-

tending through the eye 36h is a rod or link 39 having an adjustable collar 39' secured to its upper end portion and having its lower end connected to one end of a lever 40h, 'the other end of which is pivotally connected at 41h to the ma- Adjustably mounted in the lever 40h is a contact member 42 which engages with cams 43 and 44 carried by a cam plate 45 secured to a shaft 46 journalled insbearings carried by the frame; Also mounted upon the shaft 46 are the usual pattern chain sprocket and its operating ratchet (not shown) which operates the pattern chain to control the operation of the shaft 46 in the usual manner, such as is shown in the patent to Scott, No. 1,152,850, September 7, 1915. The connections between the lever 40h and the needle operating cams 30 and 31 are such that when either cam 43 or 44 presses the lever 40 down the needle operating c 30 and 31 are moved inwardly to engage the needle butts.

Also iixed upon the shaft 36 is a crank arm 48 which extends upwardly from the shaft 36 to a point above the sinker ring 300 and is provided with an inwardly projecting arm in which is mounted a plunger 49 pressed downwardly by a spring 50 and'positioned to engage and press -downwardly a lateral extension 51 of a lever 52 pivoted at 53 on the sinker ring 300 when Jthe arm-48 -is moved inwardly by `the shaft 36. Secured to the lever 52 is the auxiliary sinker withdrawing cam 32 'which is moved into operative or active position when the lever 52 is pressed downwardly. A spring 54 engaging the plunger 55 and a housing 56 formed integral with the lever 52 tends to hold lever 52 and cam 32 in the raised or inactive position. Secured to the arm .48 is a laterally projecting arm 48a having an opening tlerein in which is guided one end of a link or wire 57 the other end of which isfpiv'otally connected to the pivotally mounted reinserting cam 33. A spring 58 conilned between the arm 48a and the cam 33 and surrounding the link 57 serves to force the cam 33. inwardly with a yield-r ing pressure when the arm 48 is moved inwardly' by the shaft 36. A stop 66 on the link 57 limits the expansion of spring 58 and insures the with.- drawal of cam 33 as the cam 48 is moved outwardly. An arm 61 secured to the shaft 36 engages the machine bed plate and limits the movement of the shaft 36 in one direction.

To the bracket A which supports the dial spindle d and the gearing for driving it, there is attached a bracket .63 having spaced ears 64 in which a bell crank 65 is pivotally supported and a laterally extending arm 66 carrying guides 67 in which the auxiliary yarn guide F is slidably mounted. At its upper end the yarn guide Ji'2 is engaged by one arm of the bell crank 65 and a spring 68 connected to the upper end of the yarn guide l2 and to one of the guides 67 tends to move the yarn guide F2 downwardly to its active or feeding position. To the other arm of the bell crank 65 there is pivotally secured a pin 70 having an opening therein through which extends one end of a link or wire 71, the opposite end of which is pivotally secured to an extension 72 'of one of the usual yarn guides F1 in the throat plate F. An adjustable collar 73 secured to the wire 71 adjacent the pin 70 insures the operation of the bell crank 65 in a direction to raise the yarn guide F2. The yarn guide F1 to which the link 7l is connected is operatedfrom cams on the main drum by means of a push rod 460 in the usual manner and the connection to the yarnl guide- Fz is such that the yarn guide l5*2 is operated to Lits active vor feeding position by a movement of the yarn guide F1 to which it is connected to the active or feeding position although in this construction'this particular yarn guide F1 is not used to feed yarn v In the arrangement shown in the .drawings occasional long latch needles n' as shown in Fig. 11 are placed on the needle cylinder with the usual short latch needles n and the right hand stitch cam 361 is pivoted so that it may bev positioned in a lower position, as shown in dotted 105 lines in Fig. 12, in which it raises the short latch needles far enough to clear their latches but ds not clear the latches of the long latch needles or in an upper position, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 12, in which the latches of all nee- 110 dles are cleared. To operate the cam 361, the cam is connected by a link 75 to one end of a lever 76 which is centrally pivoted at 77 on the post or Support 401 and has its-opposite end positioned to be' engaged by one end of a lever 115 78. A spring- 77a connected to the lever 76 and the base plate B tends to shiftv the cam 361 to its lower position. The lever 78 is centrally pivoted at 79 on the machine frame and has at its opposite end an adjustable contact 80 posi- 120 tioned to be engaged by one end of a lever 81. Adjacent the contact 80 the lever 78 is provided with a finger 82 arranged to be engaged by a ca m 83 on the gear wheel 84 when the lever 81 is operated to permit the lever '78 to be moved 125 to the left in Fig. 7. 'Ihe lever 81 is centrally pivoted on the machine frame at 85 and has its opposite end positioned t@ `be engaged by cams 86 and 87 on the belt shipper drum 88 secured to shaft 46 and operated with the cam disk 45. 13@ 'I'he arrangement is such that while cam 86 or 87 engages lever 81, the lever 81 holds the lever 78 in a position in which the finger 82 is; not engaged by the cam V83gand the lever 78 engages lever-76 and causes lever 76 tchold cam 361 135 in its upper or raised position. When the cams 86 and 87 are moved from beneath the lever 81, the lever 81 permits thelever 78 to move so as to place thev'nger 82 in a position to be engaged by the cam 83 at each revolution of the 14@ gear 84. Finger 82 when engaged by the cam' ,83 is forced outwardly and shifts the lever 78 for each four revolutions of the needle cylinder.

Cam 83, as shown, is arranged to engage nger 82 through an arc of substantially 90 so that the cam 361 will be in its lower position throughout three complete revolutions and in its upper position during one revolution of the needle shown inFig. 11 during the starting of the stocking and the knitting Iof the welt and ribbed top l T and the operations will'be as set forth in Pat- Yce ent No. 1,641,101, the cylinder needles N and their jacks 380 cooperating during the knitting of the ribbed top T with the jack raising cam 366, transfer cam 25,'dividing cam 4, stitch cams 361, 357 and 360 and lowering cam 8 to form the ribbed fabric and make the Itransfer as described in that patent; Upon the completion of the transfer and the raising of the dial the pattern chain is racked forward and the knitting of the stocking leg L begins. The same racking .movement engages cam 44 with lever 40h causing link 38 to operate shaft 36 to shift the auxiliary knitting cams 30 and 31 and the auxiliary sinker operating cams 32 and 33 into operative or active positions. The same racking movement also shifts the cam 86 fron beneath the lever 81 permitting the lever 81 to move away from the lever 78 and permitting the lever '78 toY move inwardly and place finger 82 in position to be operated by the cam 83 thereby causing the right hand stitch cam 361 to alternately hold its lower position for three complete revolutions and its upper position for one. At the same time the main pattern drum is operated to withdraw ithe push rod 460 from the yarn guide F1 which operates the auxiliary yarn guide F2 permitting the yarn guide F2 to be moved by spring 68 to yarn feeding position. With the auxiliary cams and yarnv feed in operative position, all of the needles are raised by the raising cam 30, as shown in Fig. 12, to clear their latches and take the auxiliary yarn at the auxiliary yarn feed F2 and the needles are then operated by the auxiliary knitting cam 31 to draw the new loops and cast oi the previous loops which will in this case be loops of the yarn fed by the yarn guide F1. During the taking and knitting of the yarn at the auxiliary yarn feed the auxiliary sinker cain 32 withdraws the sinkers to relieve-the ten- -sion upon the loops and the'cam 33 reinserts the sinkers upon the casting off of the previous loops. The needles are raised by the cam 40 and pass to the right handstitch cam 361. This cam, as previously described, is alternately in a lower position :for -three revolutions and in fanupper position for a single revolution of, the needle cylinder. While in its lower position the cam 361 raises all needles to take the yarn zfrom the main yarn guide F1 at the throat F and raises the short latch needles far enough to 'clear their latches but does not raise the llong latch needles far enough to clear their latches. When the cam 361 is in its raised position the needles 'take the yarn at the -main yarn feed F1 and all needles are raised far enough to cleartheir latches. The

long latch needles, therefore, form tuck stitches' in the auxiliary yarn during each of the three revolutions the vcam 361 is in its lower position and cast off both loops at the auxiliary knitting cams; and cast off their loops at both the main and auxiliary knitting cams when the cam 361 is in its raised position during the fourth revolution. The short latch needles cast oir their loops nand knit at both main and auxiliary knitting cams in *every revolution.

latch needles are caused to knit at the main Imitting calms by the cam 361 being in raised position.v

Upon the completion of the leg L to the heel h the cam dials 45 and88 are again racked causing the cam 44 to be disengaged from the lever 46h and the cam 87 to engage the lever 81- withdrawing the auxiliary knitting 'cams 30 and V 31 and sinker cams 32 and 33 and causing the knitting cam 361 to be held in its upper position. At the same time the push rod 460 controlling/,the auxiliary yarn feed F2 is operated to withdraw the auxiliary yarn. The heel is then knit as described in Patent No. 1,641,181, the cylinder needles and cains cooperating as shown in Fig.y

'10. Upon the completion of the heel the cam disks 45 and 88 are again racked to cause cam d3 to operate lever 40h to 'place the auxiliary knitting and sinker cams in lactive positions and to cause cam 87 to pass from beneath the lever -81 105 and again permit the operation of cam 361 to its upper and lower position. 'Ijhe auxiliary yarn feed is also thrown in at this time and the operation continues during the knitting of the instep t and sole s.

When the long butt needles areraised by the switch cam 415 at the beginning of the heel the latches of all the needles raised are cleared, the regular length latches having a loop of the main yarn while the 'longer latches have loops of both 115 n1-ain and auxiliary yarns, but as in this arrangement the latches of all needles are cleared at this point by the cam 30, the loops are in the normal relation to the instep needles when these needles are returned to operation by the switch cam 415 after .the completion of the heel and are raised by the cam 80. When returned to operation itV will be noted the needles are not lowered far enough to have the loops close the latches so the y needles engage the auxiliary yarnn when raised bythe cam 30.

li the auxiliary yarn feedwere placed atthe lei't of the stitch cam 36Min Fig. 12, the long' latch needles would not be cleared in two-feed tuck knitting when they were raised to take the main yarn and would be cleared of both main and auxiliary yarns when raised to take the auxiliary yarn. ln going onto the h'eel the long latch needles would have their latches cleared when the needles were raised by the switch cam 415 and these needles consequently would not have the loops of auxiliary yarnsin their hooks when drawn down fto take the main yarn. 'Ihe loops of the auxiliary yarn would accordingly be cast off when thse needles were lowered by the stitch camdisks 45 and 88 are again racked to dis- 145 engage the cam 43 from the lever 40h and to engage the cam 86 with the lever 81, withdrawing the auxiliary cams and holding the cam 361 in its upper position. The auxiliary yarn guide F2 is also withdrawn at this time. 'I'he knitting of 150 the toe t is thereupon carried out and the stocking finished in the manner described in Patent No. 1,61,101. .While this invention has been shown and described in connection with a particularf rib knitting machine, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the particular application shown as it may be used with machines of other design.

What is claimed isz- 1. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams forming the usual knitting wave, acam for transferring loops from the dial needles to the cylinder needles and means for forming tuck stitches on some of the needles at the main knitting Wave, cams for forming an auxiliary knitting wave in the region of said transfer cam during plain knitting and means for rendering said cams forming the auxiliary knitting wave active and'inactive.

2. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams operating needles to form the usual knitting wave, sinker operating cams, a cam for transferring loops from the dial needles to the cylinder needles and means for forming tuck stitchesl on some of the needles 'at the main knitting wave, auxiliary cams forvforming an auxiliary knitting wave in the region of said transfer; cam during plainknitting, auxiliary sinker operating. cams operating the sinkers at the auxiliaryv knitting Wave and means for rendering said auxiliary cams active and inactive.

3. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams operating needles to form the usual knitting wave, a cam `for transferring loops from the dial needles to the cylinder needles and means for forming tuck stitches on some of the needles at the main knitting wave, auxiliary cams for forming an auxiliary knitting'wave at said transfer cam during plain knitting, an auxiliary yarn guide to feed yarn to the needles at the auxiliary knitting wave and means to render said auxiliary cams and yarn guide active and inactive.

4. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams operating needles to form the usual knitting wave, a cam for transferring loops from the dial needles to the cylinder needles and means for forming tuck stitches on some of the needles at the main knitting wave, movable auxiliary cams for forming an auxiliary knitting wave during plain knitting and means to shift said auxiliary cams to an active position at saidtransfer cam to 4form said knitting Wave.

5. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams operating needles to form the usual knitting wave, a cam for transferring loops from the dial needles to the cylinder needlesand means for forming tuck stitches on some of the needles at the main knitting wave, auxiliary cams for forming an auxiliary knitting wave during plain knitting and means to insert said auxiliary knitting cams to form a knitting wave over said transfer cam position.

6. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams forming a main knitting wave, a transfer cam and needles with latches of different lengths, auxiliary cams for forming an auxiliary knittingwave at the transfer cam during plain knitting and clearing the latches of all needles, yarn feeds at said main and auxiliary knitting cams and means to cause said main knitting Wave to clear the short latch needles only.

'1. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams forming a main knitting wave, a transfer cam and needles with latches of different lengths, auxiliary cams for forming an auxiliary knitting wave at the transfer cam during plain knitting and clearing the latches of all needles, yarn feeds at said main and auxiliary knitting cams and means to vary thefmain knitting wave to clear the latches of the short latch needles or the latches of all the needles. i

8. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams operating needles in a main knitting wave during rotary and reciprocating knitting and a transfer cam,

cams operating needles in an auxiliary knitting' wave at said transfer cam during rotary knitting and means operating one of the cams forming the main knitting Wave to knit tuck workon some of the needles during rotary knitting.

9. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams operating needles in a main knitting wave during rotary and reciprocating knitting and a transfer cam, cams operating needles in an auxiliary knitting wave at said transfer cam during rotary knitting, means to shift the Vcams forming the auxiliary knitting wave to operative and inoperative positions and means operating one of the cams forming the main knitting wave to knit tuck work on some of the needles during rotary knitting.

10. In a circular knitting machine `arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams operating needlesin a main knitting wave during rotary and reciprocating knitting and a transfer cam, cams operating needles in an auxiliary lmitting wave over said transfer cam during rotary knitting, means to shift the cams forming the auxiliary knitting wave to operative and inoperative positions and means operating one of the cams forming the main knitting wave to knit tuck work on some of the needles during rotary knitting.

11. In a circular knitting machine arranged for rib and plain knitting and having cams operating needles in a main knitting wave during rotary and reciprocating knitting and a transfer cam, cams at the extremities of said transfer cam operating needles in an auxiliary lmitting wave during rotary knitting, means to shift the cams forming the auxiliary knitting Wave to operative and inoperative positions and means operating one of the cams forming the main knitting wave to knit tuck work on some of the needles during rotary knitting.

g HOWARD GRADY DICKENS.

lll-5 

